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Broadcast Australia chalks up 500th DTTB service
23 Sep 2008
In a "world's firs" achievement, leading broadcast transmission provider, Broadcast Australia, has successfully deployed its 500th digital terrestrial television broadcast (DTTB) transmitter. Located at Broadcast Australia's recently upgraded Mt Read site on Tasmania's western coast, the company's latest facility transmits digital video broadcastingterrestrial (DVB-T) services to local surrounds and beyond.
Broadcast Australia's 500th digital television service represents a significant milestone in the deployment of what it is believed to be geographically the largest DTTB network in the world. It is the latest addition to a massive Australia-wide network, spanning approximately 580 sites and a geographic area of almost 77 million square kilometres. So far, the DTTB network deployment has rolled out in stages since 2001--starting in metropolitan centres, followed by regional centres, translator sites, major tourist areas, and rural Australia. Over 97.3 per cent of Australia's population now has access to DTV services, courtesy of Broadcast Australia's network.
According to Broadcast Australia Engineering Team Leader, Andrew Clements, Broadcast Australia's strength centres on its experience in the design, deployment, management, and operation of end-to-end digital broadcast networks. "Digital networks are significantly different to
analogue networks, demanding a multiplicity of new technology and expertise" he said. "Over the past eight years, we have pioneered many of the techniques and kills required for establishing and operating successful DTTB transmission services, resulting in a unique expertise in the digital broadcast arena."
This expertise extends to detailed coverage plans and network design, plus deployment and site upgrade strategies. "Furthermore, most Broadcast Australia's DTTB transmission facilities are linked to our network operations centre (NOC) in Gore Hill, Sydney, which provides real-time monitoring and control," Clements said. "In addition to our 500 fully managed DTTB services, our network hosts nearly 200 additional digital services, plus over 1370 analogue television and radio
services."
As host of Broadcast Australia's 500th DTTB service, Mt Read exemplifies the dedicated engineering approach the company takes with individual site upgrade projects. "The site fulfils two important roles," Clements said. "It provides DTV coverage to the nearby town of Rosebery, and at the same time is a key element in the program distribution network via UHF ‘line-of-sight' links. Owing to the extreme weather conditions experienced by the site, we've installed custom-designed
ice-resistant radomes on the UHF solid dish antennas. The end-result is an improvement in overall availability of television services to the region. The state-of-the-art multi-purpose broadcast facility provides in-built flexibility for future expansion."
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